7th Annual Haunted Housing Run 5K in Ventura on Saturday, November 2, 2024

The 2024 Haunted Housing Run is planned for Saturday, November 2nd at San Buenaventura State Beach.

Haunted Housing Run is a Halloween-themed 5K run/walk in support of the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura (HACSB) Scholarship Program. Each year HACSB awards scholarships to current residents of affordable housing communities owned and/or managed by HACSB who are currently enrolled at a four-year college/university, community college, or vocational school.

Event begins at 8:30am at 901 San Pedro Street, Ventura. Costumes are encouraged!

Visit www.hauntedhousingrun.com to learn more and register.

Santa Paula Labor Day Parade, Monday, September 2, 2024

The Santa Paula Labor Day Parade will be held on Monday, September 2, 2024 at 10 AM on Main Street in Santa Paula.

The parade is sponsored by the Santa Paula Labor Day Parade Committee, the Rotary Club of Santa Paula and the City of Santa Paula.

Walking groups with banners, musical groups, floats, workers riding in work-related vehicles, equestrians, and all groups representing a Labor Day theme are invited to participate. The parade starts at 7th and Main Street and ends at the gazebo at Santa Barbara and Mill.

www.spcity.org

2024 Moorpark Country Days Parade on Saturday, October 5th

The Moorpark Country Days Parade will take place on Saturday, October 5, 2024 on Historic High Street between Moorpark Ave. and Spring Rd. in Moorpark. The parade, with the theme “Homegrown Happiness,” will begin at 10 a.m.

Due to resource and attendance issues in recent years, there will not be a street fair after this year’s parade.

Visit www.moorparkcountrydays.com for more information.

Nights of the Jack Halloween Experience at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas September 27 to November 3, 2024

Nights of the Jack is back at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas from September 27 to November 3, 2024.

Local residents will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in a Halloween wonderland, filled with thousands of hand-carved Jack O’Lanterns at this ranch, which is steeped in history. Legend has it that in 1824, at the top of the Calabasas grade on the original El Camino Real, a rancher from Oxnard spilled a wagonload of pumpkins while en route to Los Angeles. Sometime later, hundreds of pumpkin seeds sprouted alongside the road. As a result of the surprising event, the area was dubbed Las Calabasas—"the place where the pumpkins fell."

The trail is about 2/3rds of a mile and is self-guided. Guests typically spend 1 to 1 1/2 hours on the grounds.

Tickets are $29.99 to 44.99 per person general admission. Age 2 and under are free. Parking is $9.99.

Tickets are on sale now at nightsofthejack.com.

King Gillette Ranch is located at 26800 Mulholland Hwy, Calabasas.

Trail or Treat Event at Camarillo Grove Park on Saturday, October 19, 2024

Pleasant Valley Recreation & Park District presents “Trail or Treat” at the Camarillo Grove Park Nature Center, 6968 E. Camarillo Springs Road on Saturday, October 19, 2024 from 10am to 1pm. Trick or treat along the Camarillo Grove Trail. “Treats” will be nature and Halloween-related - no food items will be given. Hike is one mile. $5 registration at www.pvrpd.org/2024-10-19-trail-or-treat.

Westlake High School Instrumental Music Food Truck Festival on Sunday, October 13, 2024

Westlake High School Instrumental Music Boosters presents its annual Food Truck Festival on Sunday, October 13, 2024 from 11am to 4pm at Conejo Creek Park North, adjacent to the Thousand Oaks Library at 1379 E. Janss Road.

Enjoy a beautiful day, with great music, delicious food from gourmet food trucks, kids activities, silent auction and raffle.

Ticket prices TBA (in 2023 it was $8 presale and $10 at the event). Food sold separately. Buy tickets and learn more at whsband.org/foodtruckfestival.

Proceeds support WHS Instrumental Music programs.

Archaeology Day at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas on Saturday, October 19, 2024

On Saturday, October 19, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., the National Park Service, California State Parks, and Western National Parks Association (WNPA) will host Archaeology Day at the Santa Monica Mountains Interagency Visitor Center in Calabasas.

The family-friendly event, including parking, is free and is organized to shed light on a discipline that is sometimes overlooked.

The morning will start with a blessing, land acknowledgment, and Native American presentations

All-day activities will include digging up artifacts in an “excavation” box, spear throwing, flint knapping demos, local artifacts on display, replica viewing and much more.

Visitors of all ages will also get a chance to earn a special patch and become junior archaeologists.

More details at www.samofund.org/outdoors-calendar#event=77687858.

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) is the largest urban national park in the country, encompassing more than 150,000 acres of mountains and coastline in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. A unit of the National Park System, it comprises a seamless network of local, state, and federal parks interwoven with private lands and communities. As one of only five Mediterranean ecosystems in the world, SMMNRA preserves the rich biological diversity of more than 450 animal species and 26 distinct plant communities. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/samo.

3rd Annual Fall Festival at Plaza Park in Downtown Oxnard on Saturday, October 19, 2024

The City of Oxnard presents its 3rd Annual Fall Festival at Plaza Park on Saturday, October 19, 2024 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Event will include live entertainment, carnival games, pumpkin decorating, food vendors and more. Free admission. www.oxnardrecevents.com/fall-festival.html

32nd Annual Thousand Oaks Rotary Street Fair on Sunday, October 20, 2024

The 32nd Annual Thousand Oaks Rotary Street Fair will take place on Sunday, October 20, 2024 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Moorpark Road between Hillcrest and Wilbur Road in Thousand Oaks, in between Janss Marketplace and Best Buy. Plenty of parking in the adjacent shopping centers and streets.

The Thousand Oaks Rotary Street Fair continues this great event with over 19,000 expected attendees and over 300 vendor booths.

Featuring artisans specializing in hand-made products and a Kids Fun Zone with games, crafts, jumpers, soft drinks and pizza. Live music and entertainment too. Free admission!

For more information, visit tostreetfair.com.

2024 Seaside Highland Games at Ventura County Fairgrounds, October 12-13

The weekend of October 14-15, 2023 will see Scotland in all its color and pageantry come alive on the Fairgrounds as the Seaside Highland Games return to Ventura. The pipes—the Great Highland Bagpipes of Scotland—will signal the call to gather on that one special weekend when all are invited to join in the fun!

Hundreds of pipers and drummers along with all sorts of Scottish/Celtic entertainment will descend on the Ventura County Fairgrounds and the gates are open to the public from 9 am to 5 pm.

A wonderfully entertaining weekend of music, dance, athletics, children’s events, shopping, food and drink! Something for everyone! Seaside is known for bringing tradition to the field—with a twist! The ageless Celtic pastimes are honored but with a big nod to today. The pipes will play the tunes handed down through the ages—but don’t be surprised when you hear new and modern sounds emerging from those ancient reeds!

Massed pipe bands, large men throwing things, Scottish entertainers, clan tents, children's den, British food, Highland dancing, reenactments, darts, Scottish Fiddling Competition, all sorts of stuff!

Admission prices at the gate are $25 for ages 13 to 61 for 1 day; $40 for both days and $20/$35 for 62+ seniors and military. Ages 6 to 12 are $5. Five and under are free.

For more details, admission prices, etc., visit www.seasidehighlandgames.org.